Stroke counter



June 26, 1962 w. BRAM STROKE COUNTER Filed May 1, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 i 706 0 l0 7 V00 1/ 22/ 1422ala 1*! m4 1r I V TORD W2. LTEIPBRA AT RNEK Jung: 26, 1962 w. BRAM STROKE COUNTER Filed May 1, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

June 26, 1962 w, AM 3,040,981

STROKE COUNTER Filed May 1, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 //v MENTOR M LTERBRAIM.

AT GENE)- w. BRAM STROKE COUNTER June 26, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 1, 1957 IN VE/VTOR, T l A LTERBEA M. B? mead 1 'ATToR/VEK United States Patent 3,040,981 STROKE COUNTER Walter Bram, Dietikon, Switzerland, assignor to Paliz- Holding A.G., Zug, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed May 1, 1957, Ser. No. 656,346 Claims priority, application Switzerland Dec. 19, 1956 9 Claims. (Cl. 235-91) The present invention relates to a stroke counter.

Stroke counters are used in connection with a great variety of machines for counting recurrent operations. Conventional stroke counters are usually provided with a counting roller for each decimal, the numerals to 9 being applied to the cylinder surface of the roller. Adjacent rollers are so connected by means of suitable pinions or Geneva gears that a full revolution of a counting roller produces one tenth of a revolution of the adjacent roller. Several devices are known for simultaneously returning all counting rollers to Zero position. Particularly simple is a device in which each roller is provided with a cardioid cam, a set back finger being associated with each cam. Stroke counters are known which include a subtracting mechanism which is actuated either by the regular actuating lever or by a special subtracting lever. Counters having actuating slides for advancing or reversing the counting rollers are also known.

The conventional stroke counters have several disadvantages. All conventional counters are composed of a great number of parts and are, therefore, expensive. The great number of parts must be made very accurate which further increases the cost. The required accuracy does not last very long because of wear.

The stroke counter according to the invention includes a counting roller provided with a cardioid cam for setting the counter back to zero and with a ten-point control star, a drive element associated with the star for advancing the counting roller, a device for reversing rotation of the counting roller which device is connected with a device for actuating the cardioid cam for setting the counter back to zero so that both devices can be actuated by a single lever. This lever actuates the device for setting the stroke counter to zero position when the lever is swung from a middle position in one direction, and actuates the device for reversing rotation of the counting roller when the lever is swung from its middle position in the opposite direction. Provisions are made for yieldingly holding the lever in its middle position. Additional counting rollers may be associated with the counting roller described in the paragraph next above, in the conventional manner, so that a full revolution of the first roller produces one tenth of a revolution of the second roller.

The novel features which are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, and additional objects and advantages thereof will best be understood from the following description of embodiments thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a part sectional front view of the stroke counter according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 to 5 are cross sectional views of the stroke counter, the sections being made along lines IIII, .IIIIII, IVIV, and V-V in FIG. *1;

FIGS. 6 to 8 are perspective illustrations of three different parts of the stroke counter;

FIG. 9 is a part sectional side view of a modified portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a front view of another modification of a part of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 10.

Like parts are designated by like numerals in different figures of the drawing.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, numeral 4 designates a U-shaped frame rotatably supporting three shafts 1, 2, and 3. The shaft 1 is the drive shaft. It has a rectangularly bent portion 1a on which may act the element whose strokes must be counted. The shaft 2 serves for setting the counter back to zero and is provided with a handle 2a. The shaft 3 freely rotatably supports three conventional counting rollers 5, 6, and 7. On the cylindrical surfaces of the rollers the numerals 0 to 9 are inscribed. Each roller is provided with a cardioid or heart or reset cam 5a, 6a, and 7a, respectively, and a Counter weight 5b, 6b, and 7b, respectively, the weights 6b and 7b only being visible in FIGS. 2 and 3. The counterweights are provided for placing the center of gravity of the rollers to coincide with the center of the rollers. Claws or teeth 60 and 7c extend laterally from the rollers 6 and 7, respectively, for driving the rollers. The roller 5 is provided with a star element 50 (FIG. 4), having ten points or teeth. Each of the rollers 5 and 6 is provided with two laterally projecting pins 5d and 6d, respectively, which serve for actuating pinions 8 and 9, respectively. The pinions 8 and 9 engage the claws 6c and 70, respectively.

A driving bracket 10 is rotatably supported by the drive shaft 1. A pin 11 extends from the shaft 1 and into a slot 10a in the bracket 10, preventing axial movement of the latter. Displacement of the shaft 1 to the right in FIG. 1 is prevented by the provision of a pin 1]) at the right end of the shaft which pin has a smaller diameter than the shaft and extends into a leg 40 of the frame 4. Displacement of the shaft 1 to the left is prevented by a spacer sleeve 13 on hte shaft 1, the sleeve being interposed between a leg 10b of the bracket 10 and a leg 4b of the frame 4. Two coil springs 12 and 14 are wound around the shaft 1. One end of each spring is connected with the pin 11. The other end of the spring 12 abuts against the roller shaft 3, tending to turn the drive shaft 1 in counterclockwise direction (FIG. 2). The outer end of the spring 14 rests in a recess in the drive bracket 10, tending to swing the latter so that the lower end of the slot 10a engages the pin 11 (FIGS. 3 and 8). The end of the drive bracket which is opposite the leg or flap 10b is provided with prongs 10d and 10a of which the former is pressed onto the star 50 and is received in a recess between two ponits of the star when the device is in the position shown in FIG. 4.

If a force acts on the arm la of the shaft 1, tending to revolve the shaft 1 in clockwise direction (FIGS. 2 to 4) against the action of the spring 12, the spring 14 moves the bracket 10 until the prong 10c enters a gap between two points of the star 50. Upon continued rotation of the Shaft 1 the bracket 10 is not moved while the pin 11 moves in the slot 10a. The prong or nose 10e is so arranged and shaped that the star 50 and the counting roller 5 are revolved through an angle amounting to somewhat more than one half of the spacing of the points of the start, during the aforedescribed swinging of the drive bracket. When the force acting on the arm 1a is discontinued the drive bracket 10 and the shaft 1 are returned to their initial positions by the spring 12. However, since the counting roller has been turned corresponding to one half of the spacing of the points of the star 5c, the prong or nose 10d enters into a consecutive gap of the star and completes one tenth of a revolution of the star.

When the shaft 1 is in a certain angular position none of the noses 10d and 102 engages the star 50. A brake is provided preventingundesired rotation of the roller 5. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the central bore of the roller 5 has a rectangular axial groove Se in which rests a brake spring which presses against the shaft 3.

FIG. 9 illustrates a modified brake. A star-shaped plate spring 15a is interposed between the rollers 5 and 6. The central annular portion of the spring 15a is pressed against the roller 5 by the action of the curved spring arms which abut against the roller 6. The friction caused thereby produces the necessary brake force.

A third modification of the brake is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. A curved plate spring 24 is interposed between the counting roller 5 and a leg 19e of a pinion supporting bracket 19, the spring having a bore 24a through which the roller shaft 3 extends. The spring has an end 24b which is inserted in an annular groove 2b of the set back shaft 2. A similar plate spring 25 is inserted between the leg 19) of the pinion support bracket 19 and the counting roller 7. The end 25b of this spring is inserted in an annular groove of the shaft 2. The springs 24 and are so bent that the counting rollers 5, 6, and 7 are pressed against each other and maintained in their relative position by the springs whose location is defined by the shafts 2 and 3.

A handle 2a is rigidly connected with the shaft 2 for setting back the roller 5 by one unit. The shaft 2 is yieldingly held in a middle position by a retaining spring 16 and a bracket 17 which is mounted on the shaft 2. The shaft 2 may be oscillated in two directions against the action of the spring 16. If the handle 2a in FIG. 1 is pressed backward, i.e., if the shaft 2 in FIGS. 2 and 4 is revolved in clockwise direction until the end 18a of a pin 18 traversing the shaft 2 abuts against the end of a slot 19a in the pinion carrier 19, a set back bracket 22 is swung by the lower end 18b of the pin 18. As seen in FIG. 4, the bracket 22 is provided with a nose 22a which is engaged by the pin 18. The pinion carrier 19 is freely rotatably supported by the set back shaft 2 and is swung in clockwise direction (FIG. 2) by a spring 20, one end of which rests on the roller shaft 3 and the other end of which abuts against a pinion shaft 21 which is supported by the pinion carrier 19. The pinion carrier 19 swings in clockwise direction until its abutment 19]) reaches the roller shaft 3. When the set back bracket 22 is oscillated, its set back nose 22b engages the points of the star 5c and turns the latter back for a little more than one half the spacing between two points of the star which thereby moves in counterclockwise direction, as

seen in FIG. 4. The nose 10d of the drive bracket 10 which is pressed by the spring 12 against the star 5c retreats and snaps into the subsequent tooth gap completing one tenth of a revolution of the counting roller 5, upon release of the star by the nose 22b of the bracket 22.

If it is desired to return the whole counter to Zero position the handle 2a is pulled forward in FIG. 1, i.e., the shaft 2 is turned counterclockwise in FIGS. 2 to 5 against the action of the spring 16. A spring 23 one end of which abuts against the pin 18 and the other end of which is inserted in a hole 220 of the bracket 22 (FIGS. 3 and 7) tends to turn the bracket 22 so that its nose 22a abuts against the lower end 18b of the pin 18, swinging the bracket 22 in counterclockwise direction. When the roller shaft 3. At this movement of the pinion carrier 19 the pinions 8 and 9 which are. carried by the shaft'21 are disengaged from the claws 6c and 7c of the counting rollers 6 and '7, respectively, so that the counting rollers can be returned to Zero position by fingers 22e, 22f, and

22g of the set back bracket 22, the fingers engaging the 7 heart cams 5a, 6a, and 7a, respectively.

As is obvious from the foregoing description and fro the drawing, the counter according to the invention is made of relatively very few parts. In addition to a counting roller for each decimal and a pinion for transmitting movement of one counting roller to the next counting roller only four brackets, four shafts, and five coil springs are needed for a stroke counter which is suited for many uses and which can be conveniently advanced and reversed and set back to zero position. The counter, which comprises very few parts, can be improved by providing one or two brake springs. The individual parts need not be made very accurately and can be massproduced at little expense and are very durable. An essential advantage of the described device is that it requires no screws or rivets whereby the manufacturing costs are further reduced and breakdowns are avoided.

What is claimed is:

1. A stroke counter, including at least one counting roller, said counting roller being provided with a starshaped part coaxial of said roller and having ten points corresponding to numerals 0 to 9 inscribed on said counting roller, a heart cam rigidly connected with said counting roller, drive means adapted to engage said star-shaped part at each stroke to be counted for advancing said counting roller by one numeral, an element having a first portion adapted to engage said star-shaped part, and having a second portion adapted to engage said heart cam, and a shaft operatively connected with said element for effecting engagement of said first portion with said starshaped part upon rotation of said shaft in one direction for rotating said counting roller in reverse direction, said shaft, upon rotation in the opposite direction, effecting engagement of said second portion with said heart cam for returning said counting roller to zero position.

2. A stroke counter as defined in claim 1, including means for yieldingly holding said shaft in neutral position.

3. A stroke counter comprising a frame, a first shaft supported by said frame, at least one counting roller rotatably supported by said first shaft, said counting roller being provided with a star-shaped part coaxial of said roller and having ten points corresponding to numerals O to 9 inscribed on said counting roller, a heart cam rigidly connected with said counting roller, a second shaft rotatably supported by said frame, a driving bracket swingable on said second shaft, a first spring having an end connected to said second shaft and being coiled around the latter and having a second end resting against said first shaft and tending to hold said second shaft in a predetermined angular position relatively to said frame, and a second spring having an end connected to said second shaft and being coiled around the latter and having a second end resting against said bracket and tending to turn the latter relatively to said second shaft, said bracket having a first and a second nose, said first nose engaging said star-shaped part when said second shaft and said bracket are in the positions determined by said springs, said second nose engaging said star-shaped part and said first nose disengaging said star-shaped part when said second shaft is oscillated against the action of said first spring, thereby advancing said star-shaped part by a little more than one half of the spacing between said points, said first nose reengaging said star-shaped part and said second nose disengaging said star-shaped part due to the action of said first spring upon release of said second shaft, thereby farther advancing said star-shaped part by a little less than one half of the spacing between said points.

4. A stroke counter comprising a frame, a first shaft supported by said frame, at least one counting roller rotatably supported by said first shaft, said counting roller being provided with a star-shaped part coaxial of said roller and having ten points corresponding to numerals 0 to 9 inscribed on said counting roller, a heart cam rigidly connected with said counting roller, a second shaft rotatably supported by said frame, a driving bracket swingable on said second shaft, a first spring resiliently connecting said second shaft with said frame and tending to hold said second shaft in a predetermined angular position relatively to said frame, a second spring resiliently connecting said second shaft with said bracket and tending to turn the latter relatively to said second shaft, said bracket having a first and a second nose, said first nose engaging said star-shaped part when said second shaft and said bracket are in the positions determined by said springs, said second nose engaging said star-shaped part and said first nose disengaging said star-shaped part when said second shaft is oscillated against the action of said first spring, thereby advancing said star-shaped part by a little more than one half of the spacing between said points, said first nose reengaging said star-shaped part and said second nose disengaging said star-shaped part due to the action of said first spring upon release of said second shaft, thereby farther advancing said star-shaped part by a little less than one half of the spacing between said points, a third shaft rotatably supported in said frame, and an element operatively connected with said third shaft and having a first portion adapted to engage said star-shaped part, said element having a second portion adapted to engage said heart cam, rotation of said third shaft in one direction effecting engagement of said first portion and said star-shaped part and rotation of said counting roller in reverse direction, rotation of said third shaft in the opposite direction effecting engagement of said second portion and said heart cam for returning said counting roller to zero position.

5. A stroke counter comprising at least one counting roller, said counting roller being provided with a rachet means coaxial of said roller, said ratchet means having a plurality of points corresponding to predetermined positions on said counting roller, drive means adapted to engage said ratchet means with each movement thereof to advance said counting roller by one of said predetermined positions, a reset cam rigidly connected with said counting roller, a unit including a first portion adapted to engage said ratchet means and a second portion adapted to :engage said reset cam, and a single means operatively connected with said unit for effecting engagement of said first portion with the ratchet means upon movement of said single means in one direction for rotating said counting roller in a reverse direction, and said single means on movement in the opposite direction, effecting engagement of said second portion with said reset cam for returning said counting roller to the starting position thereof.

6. A stroke advancing device comprising a frame, a first shaft supported by said frame, at least one roller rotatably supported by said first shaft, said roller being provided with ratchet means coaxial of said roller, said ratchet means having a plurality of points corresponding to predetermined positions on said roller, a reset cam rigidly connected with said roller, a second shaft rotatably supported by said frame, a driving bracket swingable on said second shaft, a first spring having an end connected to said second shaft and being coiled around the latter and having a second end bearing against said first shaft and tending to hold said second shaft in a predetermined angular position relative to said frame, a second spring having an end connected to said second shaft and being coiled around the latter and having a second end resting against said bracket and tending to turn the latter relative to said second shaft, said bracket having a first and a second nose, said first nose engaging said ratchet means when said second shaft and said bracket are in the positions determined by said springs, said second nose engaging said ratchet means and said first nose disengaging said ratchet means when said second shaft is oscillated against the action of said first spring, thereby advancing said roller by at least a portion of the distance between two of said predetermined positions, said first nose re-engaging said ratchet means and said second nose engaging said ratchet means due to the action of said first spring upon release of said second shaft to thereby finish the advancement of said roller by the distance between said two predetermined positions, a third shaft rotatably supported in said frame, and a unit operatively connected with said third shaft and having a first portion adapted to engage said ratchet means and having a second portion adapted to engage said reset cam, rotation of said third shaft in one direction eifecting engagement of said first portion and said ratchet means and also rotation of said roller in reverse direction the distance between two of said predetermined positions, rotation of said third shaft in the opposite direction effecting engagement of said second portion and said reset cam and return of said roller to the starting position.

7. A stroke advancing device as claimed in claim 6, wherein rotation of said third shaft in said one direction effects engagement of said first portion of said unit and said ratchet means to effect retreat of said first nose from said ratchet means and rotation of said roller in reverse direction by at least a portion of the distance between two of said predetermined positions, said first nose upon release of said third shaft thereafter completing the advancement of said roller through the distance between said two predetermined positions due to the action of said springs.

8. A stroke counter comprising a frame, a first shaft supported by said frame, at least one counting roller rotatably supported by said first shaft, said counting roller being provided with a ratchet means coaxial of said roller and having a plurality of points corresponding to predetermined positions on said counting roller, a reset cam rigidly connected with said counting roller, a second shaft rotatably supported by said frame, a driving bracket swingable on said second shaft, a first spring resiliently connecting said second shaft With said frame and tending to hold said second shaft in a predetermined angular position relative to said frame, a second spring resiliently connecting said second shaft with said bracket and tending to turn the latter relative to said second shaft, a driving bracket swingable on said second shaft, said bracket having a first and a second nose, said first nose engaging said ratchet means when said second shaft and said bracket are in the positions determined by said springs, said second nose engaging said ratchet means and said first nose disengaging said ratchet means when said second shaft is oscillated against the action of said first spring, thereby advancing said counting roller by at least a portion of the distance between two oifset predetermined positions, said first nose re-engaging said ratchet means and said second nose disengaging said ratchet means due to the action of said first spring upon release of said second shaft, thereby completing the advancement of said ratchet means by the distance between said two predetermined positions, a third shaft rotatably supported in said frame, and a unit operatively connected with said third shaft and having a first portion adapted to engage said ratchet means and a second portion adapted to engage said reset cam, rotation of said third shaft in one direction effecting engagement of said first portion and said ratchet means and effecting retreat of said first nose from said ratchet means and rotation of said counting roller in a reverse direction for at least a portion of the distance between two of said predetermined positions, release of said third shaft allowing re-engagement of said first nose and said ratchet means to complete the advancement of said ratchet means by the distance between said two predetermined positions, rotation of said third shaft in the opposite direction effecting engagement of said second portion and said reset cam and return of said counting roller to zero position.

9. A stroke counter as claimed in claim 8, including said one counting roller and at least one other counting roller rotatably mounted on said first shaft, said other counting roller having a plurality of predetermined positions there- 7 on corresponding to said positions on said one counting roller, said other counting roller having a toothed peripheral portion, a pinion adapted to engage said toothed portion, said one counting roller'and said pinion being provided with operating means for rotating said pinion through a distance equal to the spacing between two of said predetermined positions on said other counting roller at every revolution of said one counting roller, a fourth shaft supporting said pinion, a carrier for said fourth shaft, said carrier being swingably supported by said third shaft, and a spring associated with said carrier and with said third shaft and tending to maintain said carrier in a position in which said pinion engages said toothed portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Heinitz Mar. 9, Day Dec. 10, Slye Apr. 2, Pankonin Sept. 2, Helgeby Mar. 31, Poole Feb. 2, Loosli Nov. 6, Loeffler et a1 Oct. 22,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 14, 

